Leading documentary market Sunny Side of the Doc has revealed the 18 project selections for the SSD x LCM pitch sessions of the first LatAm Content Meeting, taking place from March 10–12 in Rio de Janeiro. The pitch sessions will be divided into three categories: Current Affairs & Investigation, Nature & Environment, and Factual Entertainment.
“Positioned at a strategic moment as Brazil hosts the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 30), this inaugural edition of the meeting will take place against a backdrop of global discussions on sustainability and a carbon-neutral economy, as well as contemporary societal issues such as gender equality, racial diversity, Indigenous communities, and social change – perfectly reflecting Brazil’s dynamic cultural fabric,” write organisers.
“The goal of the LatAm Content Meeting is to showcase the vibrancy of the Latin American audiovisual market and to create business opportunities between Latin American industry professionals and international producers, distributors, and exhibitors.”
The 18 creative teams will have the opportunity to present their project to a panel of international key decision-makers. Filmmakers will also benefit from expert mentoring to refine their pitch and strengthen their project’s international appeal.
Current Affairs & Investigation projects
- Archaeology of Torture. Directed by: Carla GALLO. Produced by: Manjericão Filmes Ltda Me (Brazil), Lua Azul Producoes Audiovisuais Ltda (Brazil). Logline: When excavating the DOI-Codi building – the most important repression apparatus during the Brazilian military dictatorship – a group of archaeologists undercover some of the most terrible parts of Brazil’s history. Interwoven to the excavations, archive images and untold stories bring the political memory of an era and also the dreams of a country.
- Confidential Title. Directed by: Andrew BRUKMAN. Produced by: Hellflower Films (United Kingdom), Filmoption International (Canada)
- The Black Stone. Directed by: Carlos Andres ZACONETA, Juan Ignacio BELLO. Produced by: Indio Latino (Bolivia), Atalaya Films (Chile), Londra Films P&D (Bolivia). Logline: An indigenous archaeologist uncovers a mysterious artifact while investigating Bolivia’s shadowy world of cultural artifact trafficking, revealing secrets that challenge the history of ancient civilizations.
- The Data Mercenaries. Directed by: Ayelet VARDI. Produced by: Fulldawa (France), Cinema Tribu (United States). Logline: In this stranger-than-fiction tale of ambition and unintended consequences, an entrepreneurial son, his artistic wife, and his fearsome mother build a database to catch money launderers from their spare bedroom – only to see it become a half-billion dollar surveillance empire. Two decades later, they grapple with the implications of their creation.
- The Gold Diggers. Directed by: Decio MATOS JR. Produced by: Capuri (Brazil)
- Voices inside your head. Directed by: Douglas DUARTE. Produced by: PULO Filmes (Brazil), Amana Cine (Brazil). Logline: Brazil is the world’s 3rd largest hub for psychedelic science and a leader in therapeutic use, driven by extensive ayahuasca church networks. As conservative politicians and profiteers exploit the growing interest for their own agendas, scientists and activists work to bring these transformative treatments to the masses.
Nature & Environment projects
- All Hail The Sloth. Directed by: Basile GERBAUD, Loïc CHETAIL. Produced by: 13 PRODS (France), Real Works (France), Mama Sur (Colombia). Logline: In Colombia’s tropical jungle, three male sloths have heard the reproductive call of a female. This marks the start of a 5-days, 200-meters race to reach her and mate. In a hostile forest, fragmented by human activity, sluggishness might be their best asset. Who will be first?
- Fisher’s Voice. Directed by: Lygia BARBOSA. Produced by: Grama Filmes (Brazil), Gongzasko (South Korea). Logline: Fisher’s Voice dives into the lives of coastal communities worldwide, revealing their struggles against environmental changes while preserving hope for a better tomorrow. This stunning documentary inspires a shift from over exploitation to coexistence, emphasizing the urgency of creating marine protected areas to safeguard people and nature.
- Sketches of the End of the World. Directed by: David GUZMAN STOREY. Produced by: Tres Tercios Producciones (Chile), Ajna Cinema (Colombia). Logline: “Sketches of the End of the World” is a documentary series that explores six Latin American ecosystems threatened by human activity, through a journey of exploration, art, and science led by prominent figures in naturalist illustration.
- South Pole Explorers. Directed by: Jose Manuel LOYOLA. Produced by: Oxitocine (Chile). Logline: “South Pole Explorers” is a documentary series of 12 episodes of 26’ each that narrates several expeditions of explorers in the most beautiful and unknown place on the planet: The South Pole. Its protagonists, of different nationalities and from the most diverse fields, venture in the most hostile continent, at the edge of the world, to expand the frontiers of human knowledge.
- The Metamorphosis of the Ice Giants. Directed by: Bruno VICTOR-PUJEBET. Produced by: Compagnie des Phares et Balises – CPB Films (France). Logline: By exploring three rapidly changing glaciers, this series tells how the transformation of these ice giants profoundly changes landscapes, reveals new ecosystems, and obliges mankind to adapt and take advantage of these unprecedented changes.
- Tipping Point. Directed by: André MUGGIATI. Produced by: Goldfarb Produções (Brazil), Muggi Films (United States). Logline: Journalist André Muggiati investigates the advance of deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest while trying to answer the question: Have we already reached the “Tipping Point”, when the collapse of the forest would be inevitable?
Factual Entertainment projects
- Becoming a Man. Directed by: Miguel SOFFIA. Produced by: We Are South (Chile). Logline: Becoming a Man is a bold documentary series that redefines masculinity in Latin America through 8 episodes blending real-life stories, expert insights, and vibrant animations. It explores the cultural shifts shaping men’s identities in a region marked by gender violence and feminist movements.
- Flesh. Directed by: Camila MAGALHÃES KATER. Produced by: Estúdio Celestina (Brazil). Logline: Rare, medium rare, medium, medium well and well done. Through personal and close narratives, women and non-binary people from Brazil, China, Iran, Nigeria, and Spain share stories from childhood to old age about the sometimes ambiguous relationship with their own bodies, and how they experience the gaze of others.
- Girl Tubers. Directed by: Tali YANKELEVICH. Produced by: Enquadramento Produções (Brazil). Logline: This is the story of four Brazilian girls growing up as YouTubers. In the process of recording their own youth, the camera becomes a personal prison and also a way in which they seek affection. A coming-of-age story about young girls struggling to build a sense of self and identity while trapped in a virtual fantasy world.
- Hackathon for the Future. Directed by: Rafael VALDEAVELLANO. Produced by: La Ventana Cine (Chile). Logline: A dynamic reality show where young visionaries tackle UN Sustainable Development Goals, racing against time to craft bold, impactful solutions. Guided by expert mentors, they prove innovation can reshape our world for a sustainable future.
- It Is All Relative. Directed by: Mariana FAGUNDES. Produced by: Noctua (Brazil). Logline: Two children from a big city travel to meet an indigenous community where it’s learned early on that we’re all relatives; people, nature, animals. Through the kids, IT’S ALL RELATIVE explores ideas about the different forms of family and beliefs in the world.
- The Nomads. Directed by: Leo LONGO, Diana BOCCARA. Produced by: Novavista Comunicação e Produções Ltda (Brazil). Logline: From remote tribes with ancient traditions to highly connected people with technological habits, the nomad population is about 60 million around the world. The Brazilian nomads documentarists Diana and Leo travel across 5 continents to live with nomadic communities, in an enchanting discovery about what it means to be nomad in the 21st century.
